The Worst of Philip Klein (Pt 1)

As a ploy to gain sympathy, Philip R. Klein has frequently claimed: 

Because there are other victims out there like myself and my family at the hands of whining scared angry and most of all unethical persons who have attacked my family and myself - over a political opinion.

I am a private person that has been attacked with untruths about filing for bankruptcy, having sex with farm animals and other horrible things that have hurt myself, my family and my businesses that myself and my staff has worked very hard to grow and maintain.

We are more than willing to have the courts tell me that I cannot sue and the operators of the web site can tell everyone in the world that I have filed for bankruptcy, had sex with farm animals, post pictures of my home and my family, doctor pictures of myself and in all call it a "parody" to a private person.

Typically, Philip is misrepresenting the truth.

While Philip R. Klein has never personally filed for bankruptcy, PRK Enterprises has, of which Philip is the CEO. Likewise, I've never posted pictures of Klein's home or his family, and I've never claimed that Philip has had sex with farm animals.

I have, however, posted pictures of Philip as parody, usually under the guise of a spoofed magazine cover.  Apparently, Philip R. Klein and the followers of Islam and are pretty touchy about this. Fortunately, we live in the United States, not Afghanistan, where parody is indeed protected by the First Amendment.

Regarding Klein's claim that I've attacked his family, he's apparently referencing the following exchange from 2008. Readers can decide for themselves whether this constitutes an actual attack on Philip's family. It's also interesting to note that Caroline Klein considers her father a politician (in emphasis below), even though Philip claims he's a "private person."

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A View From The Outside

Posted by Caroline L. Klein on June 25, 2008, as a Guest Editorial on the Southeast Texas Political Review.

As I am lying in bed one night, tired after a 12 hour day at work, I decide  to explore the internet. I navigate to my dad’s website…I usually like to read  the editorials and reader mail. I really do not look at it very often. If you know me, you know I do my best to stay away from politics. I have never been a political person nor do I ever intend to be. Me, well I am interested in dance (ballet) and child psychology.

Now maybe once in a blue moon I will read those stupid blogs, the Philip Klein haters. My first thought is how people can really care that much about hating someone who has different political views? Typically, dad does not let those people get to him. He is just simply speaking his opinion about what is going on in the political world of SET. Now, it is understandable that people will write things about him; after all, he puts himself out there through his website. That is his choice. He is a strong person and can hold his own. Then I come across something that really hit me hard.

A blogger, who used my brother and me as a way to try and get to dad. I find it funny when people say Charley is screwed up because he lived at my dad’s in Nederland, or someone saying my father and I have no relationship and never will. If someone is going to say things like that, at least have the audacity to sign your name. I can assure you that my brother is an amazing 20 year old who is enjoying life and working for what he wants. We see each other when we can, since I live in Austin it makes it difficult. The two of us cherish our family trips with both sides of our families and the time we have together. Although dad and I have had our differences, I realize how strong our relationship really is. My dad has given me nothing but love, support, and guidance over the years.

Growing up as a child of a politician has not been easy, but growing up as the daughter of a wonderful dad is a different story.Although my parents got divorced, for any child that is a difficult thing, especially when being so young. I have special childhood memories of my dad taking me and my best friend to school. As we were driving down Delaware, dad would frequently put on our favorite song, Shiny Happy People by REM. I couldn’t touch the floor boards of the car so my legs where straight out in front of me and I would dance bouncing my legs up and down singing “Shiny happy people laughing..”. Then my junior year in high school, dad took me on a trip to visit colleges. He took me to the two colleges I had in mind: TCU and Texas Tech.

One year later I was enrolled at Tech where four years later I graduated. I wasn’t quite sure what was next. I was battling moving back to Beaumont where it was comfortable and most of my friends and family lived or moving to Austin where I knew no one. I talked to my dad about it a lot and he told me to follow my heart. To try something new, that was out of my comfort zone. So I took a chance. I moved to Austin, made a life for myself. I have a great job, amazing friends and an amazing boyfriend of nearly 5 years. Those are memories that will last me forever.

I have seen a lot of things written about Charley and me. Dad chooses to  shield us from a lot of it. He could easily let those little snide remarks about our family or his ex-wives get to him and upset him but he is better than that. I wish all of you would just stick to the facts of politics. You don’t have to bring family or ex-families into it. I mean, what is the point?

Over all, I can assure everyone, Charley and I are just fine. No, we are not messed up young adults. We have lived and are living a wonderful and blessed life doing what we love. We have our father, mother, step-parents, and grandparents that love and support us with whatever we do and wherever we go in life. We may not always get along and I am sure we will get into fights here and there but Charley and I are so blessed to have the four parents that we have. After all, even if something were to ever go wrong, Charley and I will always have each other!

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An Open Letter to Caroline Klein

Published by Gus Pillsbury on July 7, 2010

Dear Caroline;

I read your guest editorial on your father's website and felt compelled to respond.

Please forgive the tardiness of my response. I took last week off in celebration of our country's 232nd birthday, but I wanted to answer your questions, correct several fallacies, and pose some questions to you.

On your musical reference, you missed the sarcasm inherent in the song, "Shiny Happy People." In a VH1 interview I saw with Michael Stipe, he wrote the song as a commentary about those superficial people who always claim they're happy. Still apropos, do you agree?

Given the nature of your editorial, I wondered whether your father purposefully solicited this editorial from you. If so, doesn't this constitute exploiting his children for his credibility?

Despite your claims, I've never mentioned you or your brother before now. I suspect you're taking your father's propaganda at face value without investigating for yourself. Please verify by examining my previous articles on the link in the sidebar, unlike your father who refuses to post his past articles detailing his ever-changing positions.

You asked this question:

I have seen a lot of things written about Charley and me. Dad chooses to shield us from a lot of it. He could easily let those little snide remarks about our family or his ex-wives get to him and upset him but he is better than that. I wish all of you would just stick to the facts of politics. You don’t have to bring family or ex-families into it. I mean, what is the point?

The point is this: your father's predilection for sniffing underwear does not constitute legitimate political discourse.

Rather, it's mean-spirited character assassination of the cheapest sort. If publishing malicious and false rumors about a purported adulterous affair by a sitting Justice of the Peace constitutes true political debate, then a history of broken marriages and adulterous affairs by the person making those claims is pertinent as well, don't you agree?

Regarding attacks on your family, I've only mentioned your uncle Peter, after he injected himself into the issue of Dr. Jeffrey Klem's prosecution. Here's an example:

How about enlightening us with your predictions on the elections, Dr. Klem?

This was one of many comments that your uncle left on my comments section and your father's mailing list, the Talk Back Line, where he erroneously identified me as Dr. Jeffrey Klem. This came after I pointed out that your father was exploiting three children and an intensely personal family tragedy to further his personal agenda against Jefferson County District Attorney Tom Maness.

You can read those articles here, here, here, and here.

I found your father's speculation on what actually occurred reprehensible. Since you're interested in child psychology, what effects do you think broadcasting lurid and graphic fantasies on KOLE-AM, a public radio station, had on these local girls? When your father conjured an imaginative story about Klem "putting his hands down three girls panties and fondling them" and you could actually hear him salivating. This was in extremely poor taste, yet your father regularly attacks "the media."

Your father has never addressed any of these legitimate complaints. His inflammatory rhetoric wasn't "about the children" as he claimed, but rather about his own personal agenda against Tom Maness.

I found your uncle's attack on me especially interesting considering the strained relations between Peter and Philip. Since you clearly stated that your father is a politician, perspective on Peter and Philip's comments from their relationship is certainly as relevant to this issue as the appalling and fictitious appeal to emotion exhibited by your father.

In my opinion, your father is a liar. As examples, he made these claims concerning the Klem case:

The Review has been told that the families will expose the workings of the District Attorney during a civil suit that has been filed in Jefferson County.

No civil suit was ever filed that "expose[d'] the workings of the District Attorney."

The Review has also learned that a FOX news production team has been floating around town asking questions. Hmmmm....now this might get really good.

According to the local Fox affiliate, no one from their station or the Fox News Network had a "production team floating around town asking questions." And the local Fox Radio affiliate didn't have a news department at the time Philip made that statement.

In some statements, your father maintained plausible deniability by attributing them to "anonymous sources." If these indeed came from an anonymous source as your father claims, why do you think he irresponsibly failed to verify whether those statements were true?

I'd like to hear your opinion on the incident concerning the de Novo blog, where you father claimed he was contacted by the author.

That never happened and was corroborated by the author. The entire incident is documented here and here. Incidentally, the author of the blog is a female, not a male as your father claimed. Wouldn't you agree that this is a blatant lie?

You asked:

My first thought is how people can really care that much about hating someone who has different political views?

As a person, indifference best characterizes my opinion of your father. I don't dislike him or wish him malice whatsoever. However, I strongly object to his manufactured lies, half-truths, smears, and personal attacks under the guise of credible political commentary.

Very little of what Philip does constitutes true political commentary. Whether your father could document Hilton Kelley's Eagle Scout Award has no relevance whatsoever to the questions Kelley as a community activist has raised about the wisdom of turning Port Arthur into the nation's toxic waste dump.

Likewise, publishing pictures of a single mother's home after Hurricane Rita has no relevance to the issues she raised concerning Carl Griffith's priorities for Jefferson County. If your father believes that speculating upon her emotional problems is relevant to the issues she's raised, then speculation on his own mental state is fair game as well since this has direct relevance upon his opinions, wouldn't you agree?

I look forward to hearing your reply. I'm sure your father will claim that I'm attacking his children again, but I'm interested in hearing your real opinions. If he refuses to print your response, you can always leave your comments here in confidence if you wish.

I hope you have more integrity than your father. While you give your father a lot of credit, I suspect your mother's side of the family had as much, if not more, to do with how you turned out. Your grandfather (on your mother's side) was a prince among men.

Sincerely yours,

Gus Pillsbury

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"Caroline Klein" Responds!

Posted: on Tuesday, July 15, 2008, by Gus Pillsbury

Philip R. Klein posted this message today on his Reader Mail page:

From Austin :

Thank You for all the comments and feedback that I have received.  I have chosen not to respond to 'Gus's' letter. I said what I said and you got what you got from it.  I cannot respond to someone who cannot sign there name and then degrade my dad's integrity as well as mine.  Tonight someone very wise told me "People do what they do but their actions are not who they are."  My actions do not define me. My dad's actions do not define who he is.  Gus's actions do not define him. Your actions do not define you. What I wrote came from me. The way I feel. My view from the outside.  My opinion. With that, I hope you all have a wonderful week... I know I will.  :)

Caroline

Any questions about the author can be answered by simply reading - for example a college graduate would presumably know the difference between "there" and "their:"

"I cannot respond to someone who cannot sign there name...."

There are three other obvious grammatical tells from Philip in this purported letter from Caroline, but anyone remotely familiar with Philip's writing will immediately recognize his style:

"What I wrote came from me. The way I feel. My view from the outside.  My opinion."

Exploiting children for the sake of one's vanity is abominable and a mark of poor parenting.